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EP-4420797-B1 - APPLICATORS AND ACCESSORIES FOR DISPENSING GLUE AND OTHER MATERIALS

EP4420797B1EP 4420797 B1EP4420797 B1EP 4420797B1EP-4420797-B1

Inventors

  • Garza, Iliana
  • JONES, RICHARD

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230627

Claims (15)

  1. A method of reducing cloggage and/or dryness in a squeeze container (10) comprising a liquid, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a squeeze container (10) comprising a front end (14) comprising a nozzle (154) comprising a nozzle tip (64), and a rear end (16); b) providing a stand (100) comprising a receptacle (102) configured to receive the nozzle (154), the receptacle (102) comprising an open top (104), and a bottom (106) comprising a compressible seal (108), the compressible seal (108) located below the open top (104) and comprised of an elastomeric material and having a top surface (110); and c) placing the nozzle tip (64) through the open top (104) and onto the top surface (110) of the compressible seal (108), characterized in that the compressible seal (108) is cylindrical in shape and further comprises a bottom surface (120) and a slot (122) located between the top surface (110) and the bottom surface (120); wherein the slot (122) extends across a diameter of the compressible seal (108).
  2. The method of claim 1 wherein the compressible seal (108) is comprised of a nonstick material.
  3. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein the compressible seal (108) is comprised of silicone, TPR (thermoplastic rubber) and/or TPE (thermoplastic elastomer).
  4. The method of any preceding claim wherein the top surface (110) is circular and comprises a center (112) and a circumference; wherein: the top surface (110) comprises a circular trough (116); and wherein the top surface (110) comprises a raised lip (118) extending about the circumference, wherein the center (112) is convex and further wherein the circular trough (116) is located between the raised lip (118) and the convex center (112).
  5. The method of any preceding claim wherein the top surface (110) is circular and comprises a convex center (112) and further wherein the slot (122) is located below the convex center (112).
  6. The method of any preceding claim wherein the receptacle (102) is conical in shape.
  7. The method of any preceding claim wherein the stand (100) further comprises a base (124) located below the receptacle open top (104) and connected to the receptacle (102); optionally wherein: the base (124) further comprises a flat bottom surface (126); and/or the stand (100) further comprises a cap holder (128) extending upwardly from the base (124), the cap holder (128) is cylindrical in shape and comprising a plurality of vertically-oriented ribs (130) spaced about a perimeter of the cap holder (128).
  8. The method of claim 7 wherein the base (124) comprises a front portion (131) located in front of the compressible seal (108) and a rear portion (132) located to the rear of the compressible seal (108); optionally wherein: the receptacle (102) further comprises a front receptacle wall (134) and a rear receptacle wall (136), wherein the front receptacle wall (134) is taller than the rear receptacle wall (136), and further wherein the rear portion of the base (132) is longer than the front portion of the base (131); and/or the front portion (131) comprises a cap holder (128) extending upwardly from the base (124), the cap holder (128) is cylindrical in shape and comprising a plurality of vertically-oriented ribs (130) spaced about a perimeter of the cap holder (128).
  9. The method of claim 7 or 8 wherein the base (124) comprises an opening (158) extending about a perimeter of the compressible seal (108).
  10. The method of any preceding claim wherein the receptacle (102) comprises at least one inner wall (138) located adjacent to and at least partially surrounding the compressible seal (108); optionally wherein the receptacle (102) further comprises at least one outer wall (140) at least partially surrounding the at least one inner wall (138).
  11. The method of claim 10 wherein the receptacle (102) further comprises at least one outer wall (140) at least partially surrounding the at least one inner wall (138); and wherein the at least one outer wall (140) comprises a front outer wall (140) and a rear outer wall (140), and further wherein the front outer wall (140) and rear outer wall (140) are parallel to each other, and located on opposite sides of the open top (104).
  12. The method of claim 10 or 11 wherein the at least one inner wall (138) further comprises a wall access opening (156), and further wherein at least a portion of the wall access opening (156) is located above and adjacent to the compressible seal top surface (110).
  13. The method of any preceding claim wherein the receptacle (102) comprises a hollow interior (142) extending from the open top (104) to the compressible seal top surface (110) and further wherein the hollow interior (142) comprises a height (144) extending from the open top (104) to the compressible seal top surface (110) of from 0.635 cm (0.25 inches) to 7.62 cm (3 inches), as measured at its tallest portion; optionally wherein the hollow interior is wider at the open top (104) than at the compressible seal top surface (110).
  14. The method of claim 13 wherein the hollow interior (142) comprises a width of from 0.635 cm (0.25 inches) to 5.08 cm (2 inches), as measured at its widest portion.
  15. The method of any preceding claim wherein the nozzle (154) is in the form of a hollow needle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to applicators for dispensing glue and other materials, and stands for such applicators. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Glue guns are known and typically include a handle, a trigger and a chamber for receiving glue. While glue guns typically dispense heated glue, glue guns that dispense cold glue are described in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 9,643,200. Precision cold glue bottles are known and typically include a squeezable bottle with a hollow needle for dispensing glue, and a removable cap with a pin that mates with the needle to seal the needle. Examples of such glue bottles include the NUVO Deluxe Adhesive sold by Tonic Studios, Ltd. (Pyle, Wales, United Kingdom). Unfortunately, the difficulty with such bottles is that it can be difficult to mate the pin to the needle to seal the needle, and, if unsealed, the glue can dry out or clog. Stands for glue applicators are also known. For example, glue bottle holders are designed to hold squeeze containers upright on a flat surface with the hollow needle/applicator facing downwardly toward the flat surface. US 4,334,622 discloses a stand for holding and sealingly retaining a plurality of India ink drawing implements that includes a like plurality of sleeves for holding the drawing implements and for sealingly retaining the implements to prevent the India ink from drying out. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure provides applicators and stands for such applicators. According to a first aspect, the invention provides a method of reducing cloggage and/or dryness in a squeeze container comprising a liquid according to claim 1. In some embodiments, the method further comprises dispensing a substance from a squeeze container that may include one or more of the following steps: a) providing an applicator that may include one or more of the following: i) an applicator front end; ii) an applicator rear end; iii) an applicator length extending from the applicator front end to the applicator rear end; iv) an applicator top; v) an applicator bottom; vi) an applicator height extending from the applicator top to the applicator bottom and generally perpendicular to the applicator length; vii) a chamber that may include a chamber front end comprising a front opening, a chamber rear end, and a chamber length extending from the chamber front end to the chamber rear end and that may be parallel to the applicator length, and is configured to house the squeeze container; viii) at least one wall that may include an exterior surface and an interior surface, that may at least partially surround the chamber, and may further include a plurality of ribs that may be spaced about a perimeter of the interior surface, protrude into the chamber, and are configured to compress the squeeze container; ix) a handle that may extend generally downwardly from the at least one wall, and include a handle bottom; x)a trigger that may be located adjacent to the handle; and xi) at least one arm that may be coupled to the trigger and configured to protrude into the chamber and compress a squeeze container located in the chamber; b) placing a squeeze container that includes a substance into the chamber so that at least a portion of the squeeze container extends through the forward opening and the plurality of ribs at least partially compress the squeeze container; and c) actuating the trigger to cause the arm to move toward (e.g., into the chamber) and compress the squeeze container, which causes the substance to be dispensed from the squeeze container. Optionally, the chamber comprises a partially open top. Optionally, the chamber rear end comprises a rear opening to allow a user to load the squeeze container from the rear. Optionally, the plurality of ribs are located not more than 1.27 cm (0.5 inches) from the front opening. Optionally, the plurality of ribs are located at approximately the same distance along the chamber length. Optionally, the plurality of ribs comprise three ribs spaced substantially equally apart. Optionally, the chamber comprises a chamber bottom comprising a hole receiving the arm, a chamber left side, a chamber right side, and a chamber length extending from the chamber left side to the chamber right side and generally perpendicular to the applicator height and length. Optionally, the plurality of ribs comprise a middle rib located adjacent to the chamber bottom, a right rib located adjacent to the chamber right side, and a left rib located adjacent to the chamber left side. Optionally, the front opening is semi-circular in shape. Optionally, the handle bottom is free. Optionally, the trigger is located in front of the handle. The squeeze container comprises a liquid such as cold glue or icing for example. The squeeze container comprises a nozzle comprising a nozzle tip, and optionally the nozzle tip is located in front of the front opening in step c). Optionally, the nozzle is in the form of a hollow needle. Optionally, ste